Playing Between the Opposites: Independence and Interdependence

About us

Yoga practices and philosophy blended with the Ayurvedic system offer a valuable lens through which to play between seemingly disparate ideas: yin and yang, form and no-form, success and failure, goals and no-goals, tamas and rajas, hot and cold, and on and on! Join Melina Meza and Baxter Bell, MD, for this July 4th-week yoga retreat to celebrate our independence and interdependence as we explore the interplay of opposites.

As a yoga teacher, physician, and acupuncturist, Baxter has a vast repertoire of wisdom and knowledge to share along with a rare gift for making the practice of yoga accessible and doable for the long haul. You’ll be guided through a series of portable practices — specifically designed for taking home! — so you can implement them with ease. Melina, a senior yoga teacher, Ayurvedic educator and nutritionist, artfully weaves in healthy living tips throughout the week to help you balance your life with simple daily rituals inspired by the ancient science of Ayurveda. The week offers ample time each day to tune in and make choices to be in sync with life —whether you opt to hike, swim, receive bodywork, or just simply be.

This retreat promises to leave you equipped to make grounded and informed choices in your everyday life so you can move in greater harmony with all of life. Your day begins with a morning meditation followed by breakfast and an asana class with Baxter or Melina. You’ll cap off your morning with an experiential talk on yoga and healthy aging (Baxter) or diet, nutrition, and Ayurveda (Melina). Late afternoon sessions will weave gentle therapeutic practices together with relevant topics for everyone. You’ll learn through the framework of yoga and Ayurvedic teachings how to balance opposites and adapt diet, exercise, yoga practice and daily rituals to better synchronize with the changing seasons and stages of life to promote quality of life, longer “healthspan”, and physical well-being.

Summer Vacation Tip! Extend your time in peace and beauty while savoring Western hospitality by spending some time exploring the great West’s National Park treasures either before or after your retreat with Baxter and Melina at the Ranch. Glacier National Park is a glorious and scenic 3.5-hour drive north and west of Feathered Pipe, while Yellowstone is just a 4.5 hour drive south and east of the Ranch through some of the prettiest Western territory you’ll ever see.

“For me the week had a loving, supportive, inclusive community. Baxter and Melina skillfully taught a group than spanned five decades in age and included experienced teachers and those who had never practiced yoga before.
The week had lots of yoga, laughter and fun along with time for journaling, sketching, and self
reflection. There was time to hike and time to relax in a chair or hammock.
The food was as gorgeous as it was delicious; the bodywork worked on both physical and spiritual levels; and my grandkids were so impressed that I stayed in a teepee!” ~ Kathleen H.
“At this age, I was preparing for the final phase of life and didn’t expect to be able to do as much as I would have liked. This week showed me that I am capable of so much and it’s exciting to feel like there are still so many things I have left to do!” ~ Jane H.

Event Highlights

Yoga practices and philosophy blended with the Ayurvedic system offer a valuable lens through which to play between seemingly disparate ideas: yin and yang, form and no-form, success and failure, goals and no-goals, tamas and rajas, hot and cold, and on and on! Join Melina Meza and Baxter Bell, MD, for this July 4th-week yoga retreat to celebrate our independence and interdependence as we explore the interplay of opposites.

Venue Highlights

The pristine nature and supportive community of the Ranch offers an ideal setting for yoga and conscious living retreats and educational programs that cultivate meaningful personal growth.

Year after year, guests tell us that they love to return to their beloved ‘Pipe’ over and over — not just because they appreciate the transformative power of our innovative programs, but also because they long to experience the enchanting healing power they feel pulsing from the land itself.

Nearly a million acres of national forestland surround the Ranch and offer opportunities nurturing self-care and rejuvenation in the natural world. Ambling brooks fed by pure mountain springs, aspen groves, pine forests, and a sparkling lake, and well-marked nature trails.

— The Feathered Pipe has always been relevant to the times we’re in. Today, we are actively cultivating innovative, thoughtful voices and conversations that contribute to the global inquiry into conscious living. In recent years, we’ve welcomed a new generation of yoga teachers like Gernot Huber, J. Brown, Marla Apt, Lizzie Lasater, and others. We also incubated our own homegrown program to explore the relationship between humanity, technology, and contemplative practices.

We look forward to welcoming you to your home away from home in Montana at our beautiful mountain setting.

Amenities

Free Wifi

Spa

Sauna

Towels

Free Parking

Kitchen

Tour Assistance

Hot Tub

Coffee/Tea

Cafe

Restaurant

Fitness Center

Yoga Studio

House-Keeping

Schedule

The daily schedule for individual workshops is customized by the teacher(s), but a typical day often looks like this:

Menu Types

Vegan

Vegetarian

Ayurvedic

Includes Meat

Organic

Gluten Free

Dairy Free

Nut Free

Menu/Cuisine

If the spirit of the ranch is captured anywhere, it’s most definitely in the kitchen that’s attached to the Main Lodge. Our specialty is wholesome, natural food using recipes from all over the globe. We strive to use whole, organic ingredients prepared with a commitment to health and well-being. Whenever possible, we use locally grown and raised organic food sources to support a sustainable, healthy community.

The Feathered Pipe staff pours great love and care into the preparation of every one of our guest meals. If you have any special dietary needs or restrictions, simply let us know when you fill out the guest information form before your arrival. We’ll make sure you have all the healthy, delicious fare you need for every meal.

The food at the Ranch is the stuff of legend. Our recipes are so popular and so often requested that we went ahead and created our very own cookbook – you can pick it up at the Shanti Boutique.

Our talented cooks are continually creating and updating dishes, drawing inspiration from a variety of sources from around the world.

More than a few of our guests over the years tell us, just before departing, that perhaps they’ll miss the exquisite Feathered Pipe meals most of all. If you ever tasted our chocolate chip cookies, you know what they mean!

Accommodations

Our lodging options offer the finest in rustic comfort. Indoor and outdoor choices include a variety of private or shared accommodations ranging from chalet-style rooms to tents, tipis and yurts nestled in the forest.

After retreat registration, Feathered Pipe office staff will contact you to confirm your lodging preference. Accommodations include all meals and use of all amenities – our bathhouse, sauna, hot tub, as well as all the Feathered Pipe Ranch facilities and grounds.

Your stay at the Feathered Pipe Ranch includes access to our extensive grounds, our fully-equipped bath house with showers, sauna, and a beautiful new hot tub.

While you’re at the Ranch, you’ll also have access to extraordinary hiking on and surrounding our beautiful grounds. A spring-fed lake sits at the heart of the property and lots of guests love to spend time lounging, boating, or swimming in the fresh mountain water.

Massage and Bodywork are offered for an extra fee.

Directions

To which airport should I fly?

We recommend the Helena Regional Airport for those coming to retreats and programs at the Feathered Pipe Ranch. Direct flights into Helena currently originate in Salt Lake City, UT (Delta Airlines), Denver, CO (United Airlines) and Great Falls, MT (Alaska Airlines).

We strongly suggest that you book your flight to arrive on Friday (a day early) and enjoy a night in beautiful downtown Helena, as unfortunately it is not uncommon for the major airlines, particularly out of Salt Lake City and Denver to overbook flights to Helena. That being said, travel insurance is recommended.

Airlines fly in from all parts of the country on a regular basis, with Delta serving those flying from the East Coast, Midwest, Mountain and West Coast via their Minneapolis and Salt Lake City hub, United Airlines serving passengers from all over via the Denver hub, and Alaskan Airlines serving West Coast flyers via their Seattle hub.

Missoula International Airport and Bozeman International Airport are also feasible points of arrival but will require a two hour commute via bus or auto that you will need to arrange yourself. For those interested in art and cultural events, Missoula might be the place to spend a few extra days. If you are planning to go to Glacier National Park consider Great Falls, and Bozeman if you wish to spend some extra time in Yellowstone National Park.

If you are coming for a Blacktail Ranch retreat, we suggest that you arrive either at the Helena Regional Airport or Great Falls International Airport as the Blacktail is about an hour’s drive from either airport. Note: Shuttle service only available from Great Falls for Blacktail Ranch retreats.

How do I get from the airport to the Ranch?

For those coming for a Feathered Pipe Ranch retreat, we meet flights at the Helena Regional Airport, offering shuttle service for $65 roundtrip. For those coming to a Blacktail Ranch Retreat, we offer roundtrip shuttle service from Great Falls International Airports for an additional charge of $100.

Our driver will meet you at baggage claim wearing a Feathered Pipe t-shirt. We are now grouping some pick-ups, so you may have a 30 minute wait. Please contact the office at info@featheredpipe.com or call (406) 442-8196 to arrange and confirm pick-up.

If you prefer to arrive early and stay in Helena, we will contact you at your hotel to arrange your pick-up. There is plenty to do and see in Helena. Contact our local Chamber of Commerce at (800) 743-5362 or www.helenachamber.com. Helena is half way between Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks (3 hours by car in either direction), so you might consider coming a few days early or staying a few days after your retreat to take in one or both of the country and world’s true natural treasures!

About the
Venue and Teachers

Nestled in the pulsing heart of the Montana Rockies is a place like no other – the Feathered Pipe Ranch. One of the oldest centers for conscious living and yoga retreats in the country, Feathered Pipe offers workshop experiences guided by the world’s finest teachers in a relaxed, leisurely, nature-drenched setting.Surrounded by millions of acres of forest and mountains, the Feathered Pipe Foundation hosts summer personal growth and yoga retreats in Montana and year-round yoga travel experiences around the world. Our guest teachers’ styles encompass a broad spectrum of specialties and emphasis, including yoga therapy, meditation, mindfulness, healing arts, and so much more.

Baxter Bell, MD, C-IAYT, eRYT500 fell in love with yoga in 1993 while he was working full-time as a family physician. His appreciation for the potential of yoga for fostering health, healing, and equanimity was so great, he soon stepped down from his medical practice and trained to become a yoga teacher. Now he focuses on teaching yoga full time, both to ordinary students of all ages and physical conditions, and to the next generation of yoga teachers, to whom he teaches anatomy and yoga therapy along with his accessible, skillful style of yoga. He also sees students privately, helping them use yoga to help heal from and/or cope with a wide range of medical conditions. At this point, with 18 years of teaching experience under his belt, Baxter brings a unique perspective to his teaching, combining his understanding of anatomy and medicine with his skill at instructing people from all walks of life and all levels of ability.In addition to teaching classes, workshops, and retreats internationally, Baxter is co-author of the new book “Yoga for Healthy Aging,” a past presenter at Yoga Journal Conferences and the International Association of Yoga Therapy’s Sytar Conference, and teaches online courses and classes at Yoga U Online. Baxter is also the co-founder and writer for the popular Yoga for Healthy Aging blog, where he shares his knowledge of medical conditions, anatomy, and yoga with practitioners and teachers across the world. He has written articles for Yoga Journal and the journal of the International Association of Yoga Therapy. And he is often quoted as an expert on yoga and health by major national news outlets such as the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal.

Melina Meza (BS Nutrition, Ayurvedic Health Educator, Certified Yoga for Aging Teacher, 500-ERYT) has been sharing her knowledge of Hatha Yoga, Ayurveda, and whole foods nutrition with yogis around the world for over 20 years. Melina pioneered Seasonal Vinyasa, an innovative multi-disciplined approach to well-being, and is the author of the Art of Sequencing books and the creator of the Yoga for the Seasons – Fall Vinyasa DVD. Since 1997, Melina has been teaching yoga at 8 Limbs Yoga Centers in Seattle, Washington, where she also is Co-Director of their 200- and 500-Hour Teachers’ Training Program.Currently residing in Oakland California, Melina facilitates year-round yoga and Ayurveda workshops and leads retreats in extraordinary sanctuaries around the world. Her continual growth as a teacher and practitioner has been influenced by studying with numerous instructors, including Dr. Robert Svoboda, Scott Blossom, Jin Sung, Sarah Powers, Gary Kraftsow, Kathleen Hunt, and Baxter Bell, MD. Retreats and sabbaticals are also vital to Melina’s personal practice and bring her deeper reflection and inspiration.Melina holds a bachelor’s degree in nutrition from Bastyr University, where she deepened her interest in the world of whole foods nutrition, and is a certified Ayurvedic Health Educator from the California College of Ayurveda. While attending Bastyr, she found what her body, mind, and spirit had been waiting for — yoga. From her very first class in 1993, she has never stopped exploring the physical, mental, and spiritual practices passed down from the ancient sages. Yoga has been the “launching pad” — as her teacher Gary Kraftsow describes it — that has rocketed her into a life journey of cultivating the disciplines necessary to gain insight and wisdom integral to being healthy, compassionate, and radiant, as well as how to share those gifts with others.Check out Melina’s unique offerings on the Yoga Anytime, YogaUonline, or at Gaiamtv and practice from the comfort of your own home.

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We believe human beings are innately wise, strong and kind. This wisdom, although not always experienced, is always present. Going on retreat is a beautiful way to reconnect to our basic sanity and health. Our aspiration at Retreat Guru is to inspire people to experience authentic retreats and reconnect with their innate wisdom, strength and kindness.